It’s an earlier start than usual on the PGA Tour this week with the Farmer's Insurance Open on both Torrey Pines South and Torrey Pines North Courses, La Jolla, San Diego, California.
The 156 field with the top 65 including ties making the weekend will all be competing for a share of the $8,700,000 prize purse with the winner collecting the Farmers Insurance title and a winner's cheque for $1,566,000.
Luke List returns to defend his crown having won the 2022 edition when seeing off Will Zalatoris in a playoff. His winning scorecard read 273,-15.
We couldn’t pick the outright winner last weekend but it was still a profitable week with the SuperBanker Nap winning easily as advised. Victor Perez didn’t just win the match bet comfortably against LIV defector Lee Westwood, he won the tournament when scooping the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Antoine Rozner who I tipped at 50/1 was only 2 shots adrift and in the mix entering Sunday's final round but a double bogey and then a bogey on the front nine ruined any chances. Meanwhile over on the PGA Tour, the match bet Nap, Tony Finau to beat Sungjae Im went to the final hole where Finau prevailed to win by a single shot. It got better as Xander Shauffele finished like a train shooting -10 on the final round to finish in 3rd place for each way money while Tom Kim finished T6th for more returns, there was simply no catching Jon Rahm who looks unplayable at the moment.
Incidentally, his price to win The Masters has crashed from 12/1 with most firms to 8/1. You’ll be lucky if you get 6/1 come April.
Torrey Pines South will be playing 7,765 yards long this week while Torrey Pines North will be playing slightly shorter at 7,258 yards. Both are par 72 Parkland layouts and will definitely suit the big hitters to a tee, pardon the pun.
The weather is forecast to be mainly sunny but cool throughout with breezes peaking at around 15mph.
This event will be screened on Sky Sports Golf with live coverage starting at 5 pm on Wednesday evening but be sure to have any pre-tournament bets on by 12 noon on the same day.
So let’s crack on with our betting tips for Farmer's Insurance.
Betting Tips for Farmer's Insurance
Xander Schauffele 12/1 EW 1-7 places Betway
For my first and main selection at Torrey Pines I’m going to point you all in the direction of Xander Schauffele 12/1 EW 1-7 places Betway.
As mentioned above Xander finished like a proverbial American Express train shooting -10 on his final round last weekend finishing in T3rd place two shots adrift of eventual winner Jon Rahm. He will still be thinking about the two bogeys on the final two holes on the previous round which you could say cost him in the end.
The 29-year-old from San Diego will again be playing in his own backyard this week and as I mentioned in last week's preview, he just seems to be in the thick of every leaderboard at any tournament he enters.
Having won twice for both us and him last year when winning back-to-back victories on both sides of the big pond, first up was the Travelers Championship before heading over to Scotland to claim the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, I just have a feeling, especially after last week’s tremendous effort that W beckons anytime soon.
In his last twenty-two events Schauffele has no less than seventeen Top 20 finishes with nine of those being Top 10s with seven inside the Top 5., truly phenomenal.
It’s all about stopping Jon Rahm at the moment and if anyone can then it’s this man so my advice is to jump on Xander Schauffele to claim another W as he goes one better than his runner-up spot here in 2021 when he bags the Farmers Insurance this coming Saturday in familiar surroundings.
SI Woo Kim 45/1 EW Bet365
For my next best selection in California, I’m going to advise SI Woo Kim 45/1 EW Bet365. The 27-year-old from Seoul, South Korea will still be buzzing from his recent victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii and 45/1 represents terrific value in my book for this talented kid.
He finished just outside the Top 20 at the American Express last week in 22nd place so it’s fair to say that Si Woo has started the year with plenty of form in the bag. The victory in Hawaii was his fourth PGA crown and he’s made a statement that this could be the best year yet in his young career. Last year he had nine Top 20 finishes at all events entered with a very respectable 15th place at The 150th Open Championship.
Having already bagged the Sony Open in Hawaii just a fortnight ago along with The Players Championship, the Wyndham Championship and The American Express, it could be a famous five for Si Woo Kim in The Golden State this weekend, especially with the way he is playing at the moment.
I’m in the thinking that last week's 22nd place could have been better if not for the winning hangover from the weekend before and now that he’s had time to recover you can count on Si Woo Kim to at worst if not winning, claim some place money and be in the thick of proceedings once again.
He could be the one shining in the California sun as he makes it two victories in as many weeks this weekend at Torrey Pines.
Tony Finau 12/1 EW 1-8 places PaddyPower
For my final outright pick this week I’m going to recommend a player who’s flashing up all over the radar at the moment, Tony Finau 12/1 EW 1-8 places PaddyPower. I simply have to give the very likeable 33yrs old gentle giant from Salt Lake City another chance having tipped him last weekend.
He duly obliged by winning the Match bet Nap on the final hole at the American Express to the delight of us all here at MFT.
He finished inside the Top 20 at that event in 16th place having finished 7th at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in his only other event this year. With three titles in 2022, the most recent just a few months back at the Houston Open along with the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the 3M Open, Finau is playing the best golf of his career at present and as I’ve mentioned in previous previews, another W beckons anytime soon for the American possibility even a major.
This event is a big hitters' paradise but a hot putter is also required and who better to rely on than Tony Finau on the dance floors? 1st on the PGA Tour for Putting Average can be backed up with 2nd SG Total, 4th Lowest Round, 4th Scoring Average and 3rd for Birdie Average. Finau is usually always consistent in California and finished runner-up at this event two years ago. Can he go one better this time out? well if you ask me then my answer is of course he can, especially if he brings his A game which he is more than capable of.
He could be the one who stops the Jon Rahm show, he can’t win them all as Tony Finau comes up with another golden performance in The Golden State from this Wednesday all the way through to Saturday when he’s crowned the Farmers Insurance Champ in California.
So all that’s left now is the Match bet which again has been so dependable already since the year began. For this week's Nap I’m really liking the look of Xander Schauffele again but this time to beat Justin Thomas who could still be nursing a hangover after his recent wedding, Congratulations JT but Xander should prevail over 72 holes so I’m going to make it another SuperBanker Nap 10/11 Bet365.
Farmers Insurance Best Priced Picks
- Xander Schauffele 12/1 EW 1-7 places Betway
- SI Woo Kim 45/1 EW Bet365
- Tony Finau 12/1 EW 1-8 places PaddyPower
- Xander Schauffele to beat Justin Thomas – SuperBanker Nap 10/11 Bet365
